JCC From Tehran with Love: The Iranian Revolution, 1977: Ayatollah Khomeini's Council

JCC: From Tehran with Love: The Iranian Revolution, 1977

Ayatollah Khomeini's Council

Welcome to Tehran. The year is 1977.

The government of the mighty Shah, though still powerful, is getting more frightened by the day. Protesters of his rule flood the streets of Tehran and other urban areas in Iran while he sits back in his opulent estate. Among those who have been displeased by Shah Pahlavi are communists, Marxists, secularists, intellectuals, supporters of democratic government, and most important, you: the Islamic revolutionaries.

In his 12th year of exile, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini has summoned you to be his most trusted advisors on his Islamic Council. The direction of the State of Iran is unclear at the moment, but the Ayatollah’s followers are growing in number and fervor across the universities, mosques, and markets of Iran. How the group interacts with the Shah’s government and the various forces at play in Iran is up to you. However, it is clear that an undertaking is underway, and the Ayatollah is ready to hear your voice.

Richard oyeniran

Coordinated Crisis Director

Richard Oyeniran is a fourth year majoring in Economics at the University of Chicago. He’s originally from Sugar Land, Texas (Yes, his town is actually called Sugar Land. P.S. He loves when you ask about it). When he’s not directing contemporary Middle Eastern crises, Richard is teaching for Moneythink or spending Saturdays with the brothers at Zeta Psi. He’s excited for his fourth year participating in ChoMUN and his seventh and last year of participating in MUN.

Feel free to reach out to Richard at royeniran@uchicago.edu if you have any questions.

TJ L'Heureux

Crisis Director

TJ L'Heureux is a third-year Public Policy and Latin American Studies double major at UChicago. Originally from Tempe, Arizona, he can often be found complaining about not being in Arizona during the winter, but avoiding it at all costs during the summer. Outside of ChoMUN, he can often be found spending time with his beloved brothers of Sigma Chi, working at UChicago’s Office of Investments, volunteering around Chicago, or collecting/hoarding books that he will read but probably won’t finish. Word has it that he is super excited to chair the JCC and explore one of the most interesting uprisings of the 20th Century.

Feel free to reach out to tlheureux@uchicago.edu with any questions or concerns.

Ben Fogarty

Crisis Director

Ben Fogarty is a third-year double majoring in Economics and Public Policy Studies. He hails from Klein, Texas, which may sound like an idyllic small Texas town with cowboys, coyotes, and a stellar high school football team but is really just a suburb of Houston. On campus, Ben is a resident assistant in DelGiorno House and spends a little too much time getting far too worked up about intramural sports. Outside of campus, Ben is an ardent supporter of all things Houston: sports teams, bayous, and, of course, hip-hop. He is also known among his friends for having an alarming number of strong opinions for no discernible reason and spends a little too much time reading Pitchfork. Ben previously served as an assistant chair at ChoMUN XX on Come and Take It: Texas 1835 and is looking forward to the what this committee has in store. If you want to talk about committee, why Houston has the best hip-hop scene in the country, or how the designated hitter is ruining baseball, you can email Ben at benfogarty@uchicago.edu.